Great Barrington — The town will receive a $3.2 million grant from the state for infrastructure costs for an affordable housing development. The development is located on North Plain Road in Housatonic and is a project between the town and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, and is planned to include 19 affordable energy-efficient homes on the 7.25-acre site.
According to a press release issued by town publicist Ellen Lahr, the funding for the project is coming from the state’s MassWorks program. As per the program’s website, the program “provides grants to communities to help them prepare for success and contribute to the long-term strength and sustainability of our Commonwealth” and is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.
Lahr wrote that the funds will cover the costs of road construction, sewer, water, and stormwater infrastructure. She wrote that Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Wednesday, October 26 the grant to the town, along with a total of $143 million in grant awards, to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities.
In an interview back in early August, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity CEO Carolyn Vall said that the units will range from three to four bedrooms per unit. “The development will qualify for Great Barrington’s subsidized housing inventory list,” Valli said in August. “People earning between 50 and 100 percent of the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) area median income guidelines, based on family size, would be the target population.”
Lahr wrote in her press release that units will be sold to first-time homebuyers earning between 65 to 100 percent of the area’s median income. The property was purchased by the town’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund in July 2020.
The fund used $175,000 in Community Preservation Act funds and subsequently awarded development rights to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.
While there is no specific target date for the project, Lahr wrote that construction on the site could begin in late 2023 with the construction of houses starting in 2024.
